Southern Sweets 2018 Winter Issue

SOUTHERN SWEETS A HOME AND LIFESTYLE DIGITAL INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE

NEW YEAR'S EVE WEEKEND GETAWAYS BREAKING GROUND PART TWO Building Journey of the Roney Farmhouse Continues

A DIY PALLET WALL BEST SMELL GOODS FOR YOUR HOME SOUTHERN SWEETS FAVORITE THINGS Winter Edition

ISSUE 05 • DECEMBER 2018 • FEATURING DURIEL RICHARDS

what's inside?

4 Breaking Ground: Part Two

16 Best Smell Goods for Your Home

21 Feature Spotlight: Duriel Richards

3 Editors' Note 10 A DIY Pallet Wall 15 Koya's Kreations: Online Shop for Custom and Monogram Items 18 Winter Beverages 19 NYE Weekend Getaways 24 Southern Sweets' Favorite Things: Winter Edition

A step-by-step DIY guide to building a fireplace wall pallet

Upcoming Atlanta and across the USA fall winery and The Roney Farmhouse brewery events

From the Editors

Can you believe 2018 is already coming to an end?! It seems like it just started! Or am I the only one who feels like that? As we begin to wrap up the year, we're in our planning phases for what we hope Southern Sweets will achieve in 2019 and how we will continue to grow and connect.

We simply can't say thank you enough. Thank you for another year. Thank you for continuing to follow along on our crazy ride. We hope you stick around to see what 2019 will bring us here at Southern Sweets as we wish you all a new year of love, light, and happiness.

Cheers!

KOYA TYSON AND MICHELLE GOWDY CREATORS | WRITERS | EDITORS OF SOUTHERN SWEETS MAGAZINE EDITORS' NOTE | 3

BREAKING GROUND PART TWO

BY KORI RONEY

BREAKING GROUND | 4

Holy Home Build Batman! Last we spoke, I believe the Roney Farmhouse was a mere shell comprised of wood bits, dreams and fairy dust (ahem…sawdust, or what I lovingly call “man glitter”). Y’all. I am not exaggerating when I say that I feel like Paul and I just barely survived a war. We are sleep deprived, about 10 pounds thinner (mainly him; I’m a stress eater) and I believe in my heart that both of us are suffering from some sort of home building post-traumatic stress. We’ve seen things that we can never quite recover from and learned more about ourselves and our marriage than we ever thought possible.

And yet.

The Roney Farmhouse lives!

We officially “moved in” a little over a week ago. You could actually body check me at the grocery store and the grin wouldn’t budge from my face; I think it might be permanent. From the moment that Paul passed our final inspection to the moment that he metaphorically turned over the house to all of my

decorating; we have been floating on a cloud of joy! … and exhaustion…yeah, let’s face it, I’m writing this and I’m not 100% sure that I’m sleeping. This could all just be one big stream of consciousness piece. There have been so many obstacles and heartaches and straightup moments that we thought about burning the whole thing to the ground, but we made it! Last Sunday was my birthday and standing on my back porch looking out into the woods has me feeling a certain kind of way. 34 is off to a good start!

I wanted to write honest, because let’s face it; social media lies. My Instagram follows your typical home/housewife/blogger format, but I think it’s truly important to highlight that there is a real “Instagram vs. reality” quality to building your dream home. For example: Instagram Kori: It’s unhealthy to have an obsession with a shower right? Master shower is FINALLY done being tiled! Paul still has to grout and add fixtures, then @youfianddupree it’s all yours my good friend!!!

Glass door and granite bench topper is up next!

BREAKING GROUND | 5

Reality Kori: Our tilers left our master bathroom shower a quarter of the way finished and ghosted us for a month.

When we finally got ahold of them to tell them we had gone with another company, (by the way, they have worked with Paul for years) they were offended and started demanding money from us.

We’ve failed inspections, we’ve gone over budget and we’ve had people not show up month after month. But isn’t that life? And doesn’t that just make it all the sweeter when you’re standing in the middle of YOUR house that YOU built with your own two hands? One thousand percent!

Again y’all; it was a rough year.

And yet again…

The Roney Farmhouse lives!!

And so do we! Together even! More in love and more appreciative of each other than ever before. Because we just built a flipping house and neither of us are buried within the walls! High five husband! All jokes aside, this house is more than I could have ever imagined and my husband is an absolute legend in my eyes. For eight months, Paul has maintained his normal hours working on other client’s houses, made the drive to our property, and put in another 4-5 hours on our home. #hero Every square inch of our house is wrapped in such love and attention to detail. It was of the highest importance to us that our friends and family felt like they were coming home.

I have written before that I once heard someone’s house growing up described as “the place where all of the kids wanted to hang out and there was always enough food for anyone who walked through the door.” I have carried that with me and strive to make space for anyone and everyone.

Our guest bathroom is quite honestly one of my favorite rooms. My friend Jonsie once told me that my bathroom at our old house was the best-smelling and prettiest bathroom. Paul recently used our new guest bath and told me it reminded him of a hotel and I probably could have died happy right there on the spot. I attribute that to the Bath and Bodyworks Frosted Cranberry candle and thoughtful touches like Poopouri and a bathroom guestbook, but the point has always been to keep my guests comfy. So, if you enter what is lovingly referred to as “The kid hallway” or “my room” by about anyone who walks BREAKING GROUND | 6

into the house; you will see that space for our friends and family have been thoughtfully crafted. Even what I thought was going to be my biggest house designing regret (accidentally painting a bedroom a soft pink when I thought the color was a creamy white), ended up being one of my favorite bedrooms. It’s all about what you do with your space and the bits and bobs that make decorating so fun and personal.

BREAKING GROUND | 7

REISE | PAGE 4

My top five favorite things in our house are (in no particular order) as follows: 1. The black and white farmhouse tile in the laundry room.

Thank you Ansley Van Epps! I had seen this tile a year ago or so when I was looking at tile samples and kept coming back to it. Then I saw my high school friend’s house renovation with this tile and knew it was the one! If you have a Floor and Décor near you, I highly recommend them for all your tiling needs!

2. The reclaimed barn wood over the kitchen island. I saw this once on a job that Paul was working on in a basement. I had never seen shiplap on a ceiling, let alone old barn wood. The night that Paul and I installed it may go down as one of the funniest for me. I wish someone had been there to take a picture of the two of us dangling off of ladders on opposite ends of the kitchen island with a nail gun.

3. The doors. Did I say top 6? Well, I love ALL of our doors. I like the beautiful 5 panel doors with the oil brushed bronze knobs that bring back a little of that old farmhouse style. Then there are the bar sliders that Paul made me for the master closets and the screened pantry door with the transom. And might I add that the pantry and linen closet both were wired by our electrician to turn on and off as you open and close them! Yup, I love the doors!

4. My master shower. I’m not going to lie; this was not an area of the house that I was very interested in. In the plans, it looked cramped and I’m much more of a “book in the bathtub and ALL the lush bath bombs” kind of girl.

But once that bad boy started taking shape, I knew that there was a very real possibility that I would kick those fizzy bombs of florally goodness to the curb. This shower is the stuff of my wildest dreams that I never knew I had!

Already it has kicked my sweet little idea of a dog bath to the curb, because it’s big enough for my friend Carlie’s Great Pyrenees, Ghost. And Carlie too to hose him off from a romp around in the Georgia red clay!

5. The front porch. There is something about a front porch in the South. We painted the ceiling of our porches a really beautiful blue called Lauren’s Surprise from Sherwin Williams. It is so charming and practical! Aside from the lady bugs, it detracts bugs because they get tricked into thinking its’ part of the sky. It’s also on this porch that we have our rocking chairs and The Roney Farmhouse metal sign that Paul had made for me. I see a lot of nights sitting out there, drinking wine with our neighbors. Yes, we have neighbors!! Fantastic ones that come over and cheerlead you into finishing just one more project, drink with you out of mason jars and bring you lovely housewarming gifts like Henrietta, my metal kitchen chicken!

6. Remember when I said that the house was wrapped in love? Well, it literally has lovely well wishes and sentiments built into the very bones. As each friend would stop by to help, we would have them sign a beam, a tile or wall. If you strip the farmhouse down, you will find these l little messages left by sweet and meaningful people. You might even find a few anecdotes from yours truly (particularly in the closet). If I had to pick a favorite of my favorites it would be this.

I’m so happy to be able to share this bit of insight into our little slice of Heaven. The hard road has been more than worth it. To anyone who is adventurous enough to take on a home build, I can say that it is both the most fulfilling project I’ve ever been a part of, while also being the most challenging. It will change you and you will appreciate every beam and board of your build.

The Roney Farmhouse lives y’all!!!

REISE | PAGE 4

BREAKING GROUND | 8

The Roney Farmhouse

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A D I Y Pallet Wall

BY JAMISON JOHNSON

My wife and I purchased our first home together in March of 2018 and knew right away there would be a few things that we wanted to change. Over the course of changing out light fixtures and choosing paint colors, we visited someone’s house who had a pallet wall in their bathroom. We were immediately intrigued and started talking about ways to incorporate the idea into our home. As soon as we walked into the house, I told my wife, “Let’s surround the fireplace with a pallet wall.”

A DIY PALLET WALL | 10

Our first step was to choose all the colors for the room. We knew we wanted to go with grey walls and a dark stain (Jacobean) on the floor.

We went back and forth to Sherwin Williams getting different paint colors for the walls never quite finding the perfect color. Some were too beige, some were blue, some were green, some were too light, and some too dark, etc. One day while browsing some photos on Instagram, I came across a picture of a room that a friend had recently decorated and noticed the grey paint on the walls. It was perfect! I sent her a message and she told me it was called Functional Grey. I immediately rushed to Sherwin Williams and grabbed a sample.

Finally! We had found the perfect paint for the walls. I hired paint and flooring contractors and within a couple of days the floors and walls were done.

After refinishing the floors and painting the walls, the fireplace looked rather out of place. The white high gloss finish did not appeal to me at all so I started to look through all of the paint samples we had tried for the wall and came across one that I thought fit perfect, Peppercorn.

My wife was a bit skeptical, but I told her to trust me. I put a small dot of the paint on one of the bricks of the fireplace and asked her what she thought and she was still a bit hesitant, but gave me the go ahead.

I started painting the fireplace brick by brick taking a step back every so often to get a good look at it. About halfway through, I was extremely happy with the color choice.

Next, it was time to find the pallets that we would use for the wall. I searched Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace and realized no one was giving them away. Instead, people were selling them and they weren’t cheap. We found out there is a pretty serious market for pallet furniture. One Saturday we just happened to be at Floor and Décor and figured we would ask them if they had any pallets that we could have. One of the cashiers called someone on the phone and they told us to drive around the side of the building and take as many as we needed FOR FREE!! I called my frat brother who owns a pickup truck and lives nearby and asked if he could meet us there. Once he arrived, we loaded his truck and my Ford Explorer with as many pallets as possible (way more than we needed) and headed home.

A DIY PALLET WALL | 11

The following weekend I began the process of removing each individual piece of wood from the pallet. I watched a YouTube video that stated the easiest way to do the job was to use a reciprocating saw (sawzall) to cut through the nails. I went to Home Depot and purchased a battery powered sawzall because it was inexpensive and I figured it would be good enough to do the job. I quickly realized that I was wrong. The batteries were dying really fast and the saw blade was not making it through the nails at all. So, I returned the battery powered sawzall and got a DEWALT 10-Amp corded one. After about 2 hours, I was finished separating the wood planks from the pallet and ready to give them a nice sanding.

Later that evening, my wife and I began discussing where we would put the TV. She wanted it to go

above the fireplace and I wanted it to go on the wall in the corner.

My argument was that it would be too high and our necks would hurt from looking up at the TV for too long. Also, it would be easy to conceal the wires if the TV was not over the fireplace.

Her argument was that the TV would look ridiculous over in the corner and that it would partially block the window. I found pictures online to show her and she still disagreed, so to compromise, I told her the only way I would agree to putting the TV over the fireplace, was if we got a full motion TV mount and hired someone to place an electrical outlet above the fireplace as well, so that we could conceal the wires. She happily agreed to my terms. She measured the TV and used blue painters tape to mark the corners of the TV on the wall

above the fireplace. It didn’t need to be perfect but it gave us an idea of where the TV mount and electrical outlet needed to go. Since she had to use the stud finder to set the TV mount on the wall, she also used green painters tape to mark the rest of the studs above the fireplace for a later phase of the project.

With summer vacation was on the horizon, my wife decided that she would sand the pallet boards while I was at work. We purchased the sandpaper from Lowes (we already owned a hand sander) and she took a few days to sand each piece of pallet wood. She decided to only sand the side of each piece of wood that would be exposed once it was on the wall which saved a lot of time. After the wood was sanded, she came up with the great idea to use the leftover paint we had used for the walls, stain we had used for the floor, and paint we had used

A DIY PALLET WALL | 12

for the trim to paint each piece of pallet wood that would be going on the wall. We left the nicest pieces natural so that they would also add some character to the wall. We measured the wall surrounding the fireplace and laid out the pallets on the ground leaving space for the TV mount and electric outlet so that we could see a rough picture of how the wall would look once the pallets were in place.

Now that we had the TV mount in place, the electrical outlet in place, and the pallet wood sanded and painted, it was time to put the wood on the wall. My first thought was to attach the wood directly to the wall, but I realized that if we wanted to change it in the future, we would probably destroy the wall in the process. So I decided to place some 1x3 inch boards at every stud above the fireplace and then use a nail gun with 1 ½ inch nails to attach each pallet to the 1x3. We had previously marked the studs with green painters tape, so we used 1 ½ inch screws to screw each 1x3 into the studs. For the sides of the fireplace, we used wood glue to hold the 1x3s in place. We also painted the outer edge of the two outer 1x3s white so that when you look at the wall from the side, you would not see an unfinished edge.

"We left the nicest pieces natural so that they would also add some character to the wall."

Once we got all of the 1x3s in place, it was time to attach the pallet wood. We slowly worked from top to bottom, left to right using the nail gun to place each piece in the right spot. In some cases we had to cut the pallet wood to make it shorter as our measurement was a bit off. However, the fact that we were mounting the TV over the fireplace meant we had room for error where the TV would cover the pallet wall. When we got near the mantle we realized that we needed a way to cut the pallet wood into thinner pieces because of gaps that we were forced to leave as we worked our way down the wall from crown molding to the mantle. For that part of the job we needed a table saw, but in the meantime, I mounted the TV and sound bar and concealed the wires behind the pallet wall.

Finally, we were able to borrow my father-in-law’s table saw and finish the last bit of the wall just above the mantle.

I left about a 2 inch section behind the cable box open so that any power cables and HDMI cords that we need for cable boxes would have a space to go. I also had to drill a small hole into one of the pallet boards for the sound bar’s power and optical cables. We are extremely satisfied with the final product.

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WE HELP YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED IN LIFE.

A DIY PALLET WALL | 14

w o N p o y Sh s t E on Online Shop for Custom and Monogram Items Wine Glasses • Adult T-Shirts • Baby Onesies • Treat Jars • And Much More!

Follow us on Instagram @KoyasKreations • A Southern Sweets Company https://www.etsy.com/shop/KoyasKreationsShop

Best Smell Goods For Your Home

by Koya Tyson

01

October, November, and December are some of my favorite months. There's lots of festive holidays, quality time with family, and a great variety of scents for the home. I try to make sure that I have a nice fresh scent in my home year round, but it's typically a soft fresh scent. However, as soon as October hits, bring on the pumpkin, marshmallow, and apple pie scents.

When I lived in apartments, it was easy to pick up a few plugins and have the entire place smelling fresh.

However, when I bought this big house, I was not prepared for the daunting task of adding fresh scents to the house. Here are a variety of tips on how to make your home smell fresh and welcoming, whether big or small.

01 Scented candles are great for adding a nice scent to the home that will linger for a while. They come in a broad variety of fragrances, sizes, and colors. The only disadvantages to candles are that you can not leave them burning unattended and the scent is only noticeable while burning or immediately afterwards.

Also, certain waxes emit a dark soot when burned. To avoid the dark soot, consider candles made with soy wax and be sure to keep the wick trimmed.

BEST SMELL GOODS FOR YOUR HOME | 16

02 There are a variety of different types of diffusers. Reed diffusers consist of a glass jar filled with fragrance oils with long wooden sticks, reeds, sticking out of the jar.

The wood will absorb the oil over time and diffuse the fragrance into the air.

This is possibly one of the lowest maintenance aromatic. Similarly to candles, they come in a variety of scents, but you won't have to worry about burning anything. If you notice that the smell is fading but the oils are still there, simply flip the reeds.

03 Essential oils are a great way to keep your home smelling wonderful.

There are a lot of ways to use essential oils. They can be added to a spray bottle with water and used as a mist, added to a cup of baking soda and used as a deodorizer, or they can be diffused in an essential oil diffuser.

Essential oil diffusers give you more control over the fragrances and when it is released. You simply add a small amount of water to the device and add a few drops of your favorite essential oils. Essential oils not only smell delightful, but they are also great for aromatherapy. Just be sure to purchase pure essential oils because the blends with other oils can clog the diffuser.

04 Scented oil electric warmers such as Glade Plugins are the perfect quick and easy go to for home fragrances.

It comes with the device and the oils.

There's no measuring or mixing of the oils and it comes in a large variety of scents for a few bucks.

Click the images to purchase the items discussed in this article on Amazon.

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WINTER BEVERAGES Koya Tyson

Winter Sangria

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Hot Cocoa

Ingredients 1 750 ml bottle Shiraz or Malbec 1 cup Brandy 1 cup frozen cranberries 1 medium orange sliced 1 granny smith apple, diced 1 pear, diced 1/2 cup cinnamon simple syrup

Ingredients 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp Hershey Cocoa A dash of salt 1 cup milk 1/4 tsp vanilla extract Marshmallows

Instructions 1. Mix wine, Brandy, and simple syrup.

2. Add fruit and let refrigerate for two hours.

3. Serve with frozen cranberries and cinnamon sticks as a garnish.

Instructions for Simple Syrup 1. Simmer 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks until sugar is melted. Chill and store in an air tight container.

Instructions 1. Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large mug.

2. Heat milk in microwave on high for a minute and a half or until desired hotness.

3. Slowly add milk to sugar mixture while stirring.

4. Add vanilla and stir in well.

5. Add marshmallows and enjoy.

Spiced Apple Cider Ingredients 1 gallon apple cider 3 cinnamon sticks 1 or 2 cloves Instructions 1. In a large pot or slow cooker, mix all ingredients.

2. Simmer for 15-30 minutes.

3. For an extra kick, add 3 tbsp of spiced rum to each cup for kids 21 and up.

Recipe courtesy HersheysKitchens.com WINTER BEVERAGES | 18

NYE d n e k e e W s y a w a t Ge BYÂ MICHELLE GOWDY

Here's a look at some of our top picks to bringing in the new year. Everything from being right in the heart of the mix with the crowds and excitement, to a quiet, intimate retreat.

NEW YORK CITY

LAS VEGAS

New York City, the concrete jungle that never sleeps.

Central Park or Times Square, New York City will be the center of it all ringing in the New Year. If you like to be front and center in the mix, love to be surrounded by a diverse crowd of celebratory people, or or prepared for nonstop party and action, then New York City might be the right spot for you to be to kick start 2019.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas and New Year's Eve there would be one, non-stop, crazy-filled, good time. The entire strip is shut down to traffic and the streets are filled with 300,000 party-goers. Enjoy the casinos' choreographed fireworks display at midnight, a host of celebrity-filled nightclubs, shows, drinks, and an array of other entertainment to make your night's pleasure.

PUERTO RICO

GREAT WOLF LODGE

If you're looking to escape the cold and head to warmer weather to celebrate in, Puerto Rico would be my top pick. As part of the US territory, no passport is required to visit. Be sure to book plans now as New Year's Eve events tend to sell out fast. Be sure to check out Illusions New Year Eve's Celebration, hosted by Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, their most indemand destination on the 31st to ring in the New Year.

Great Wolf Lodge resorts can be found across the country and is another family-friendly New Year Eve celebration option. Here, they bring the North Pole to this indoor water park. Transforming the park into "Snowland," the resort is filled with holiday decorations and indoor snow showers.

Something the entire family can enjoy.

LEGOLAND

DENVER

May sound different or odd, but I assure you, California's Legoland, is a great family friendly New Year's Eve weekend destination. Your family can celebrate and rock out to kid-friendly bands, enjoy fireworks, ring in the New Year at a kid-friendly bedtime, and watch an enormous LEGO brick drop 22 feet from the sky.

Take your pick to enjoy the serene quietness of the mountains up in the cabins snuggled up with hot cocoa and smores or head downtown to Denver, Colorado for a skylit display of fireworks.

Downtown, you can enjoy a variety of activities that would include dance parties, live music, art installations, and open bars.

NYE WEEKEND GETAWAYS | 20

Feature Spotlight Duriel Richards

Atlanta Metro Realtor, Duriel Richards

Duriel Richards

When You Work With Me, You Work With the #1 Name in Real Estate As we approach a new year, many of you may be looking to venture into buying your first new home or perhaps to sell, because your family is expanding and need bigger space. Are you new to Atlanta or considering the move here?

Meet Metro Atlanta's newest realtor and Southern Sweets new member, Duriel Richards, from Keller Williams. Duriel recently took some time out of his busy schedule to sit with us and answer a few questions about his start in real estate and some important and beneficial new home-buyer tips and things to know.

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT | 21 FEATURE SPOTLIGHT: DURIEL RICHARDS | 21

Southern Sweets (SS): Why did you choose real estate as your profession?

Duriel: To put it simply, life put me in position to get into real estate. I was at a point in life, stressed and turned off by corporate America, I was looking for a change. I happened to run into a friend of mine and we ended up talking about real estate investment. Coming from a finance background, I was aware of the potential of real estate investment, but not necessarily the ins and outs of what is involved. I then had a second friend call me out of the blue and talk about their success in real estate and encouraging me to consider it an option. From there, I began to do research on what would it take to begin my career and I decided to take the plunge. I have found it to be a great compliment with my financial background and my goal is to eventually lead a team and invest in multiple properties to finance my dreams and the life I want to live.

SS: What are some financial tips you would provide to someone looking to purchase their first home?

Duriel: I would say one of the first things you should do is to give yourself a financial checkup. Pull your credit history and look to ensure all items are accurate and up to date and if there are any issues, go ahead and take steps to resolve them. From there, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go ahead and meet with a mortgage lender to become pre-approved. This will give you a ballpark figure on the range of prices you should be able to afford.

Also, it is a good rule of thumb to not make any major purchases that will increase your debt, as this could affect your credit score. To expedite the process, having all your paperwork organized and readily available can save valuable time. Some of these items include recent years tax returns, pay stubs, bank account statements, divorce papers, child support info, etc. It’s worth noting that if your credit is in the dumps and you desire to own a home, that path can still be an option. Consider debt or credit counseling, building and maintaining a budget, reduce debt, and make consistent on-time payments. Over time, even someone in the worst position can realize the dream of owning a home.

SS: What are some common do's and do not's you see home buyers doing?

Duriel: A lot of home buyers look at tons of homes online which is awesome. I think that is one of the fun aspects of looking for a home. The downside is a lot of information, especially pricing, is wildly inaccurate and many people accept the information at face value as correct. This could lead to false expectations on value and what a potential buyer can and cannot afford. A second obstacle this can present, is information overload and the thought of "what if another house is better," or if you find a great home, the thought of "what else is out there" can creep in. The reality is the best homes go fast and if you love it, chances are others love it too. I’ve had the experience of scheduling viewings for homes, and within an hour, one of the homes that was listed the day prior is now under contract and my viewing had to be cancelled.

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT | 21 FEATURE SPOTLIGHT: DURIEL RICHARDS | 22

e M t c a t n o !

C y a d To Duriel Richards, Metro Atlanta Realtor Phone: 770-377-5479 Email: Durielr@kw.com Web: DurielR.kw.com

SS: What is the number one tip you have for people looking to purchase a home? Especially for first time buyers.

Duriel: My number one tip is to hire a qualified real estate professional. There is much more to buying a home than finding a home online, and there is much more to selling a home than accepting the highest price. A great agent will help you negotiate for the best possible deal, anticipate and help resolve issues that could arise with counteroffers, special stipulations, finance options, inspections, appraisals, title, and provide other fiduciary duties. A great agent can also save you time, stress and most of all money in transacting arguably one of the biggest investments in one’s lifetime.

SS: What is the number one tip you have for people looking to sell a home?

Duriel: Location, condition, and marketing are the three factors that get your home sold. My number one tip for sellers is to make your home as attractive to buyers as possible. Sounds simple right? Well there is more to it: taking pictures inside and outside the home, showing all rooms and highlighting any special features or designs in the home. Home staging (unless the home is vacant) is very important. Buyers want to envision themselves in the home and that can be hard to do in a cluttered home. I have seen great homes from the inside, but once inside, it was clear this home was too small for the family living in in it. Think about it, the first thought when walking inside is "this home is small," even if it is a nice size for you. Having a great agent will also have a great marketing plan and have your home available to be seen in as many ways as you are comfortable with. More visibility means more potential buyers. More offers and then, ideally, more money in YOUR pocket!

SS: What renovation or home decor tip would you recommend homeowners not do?

Duriel: When considering home decor or renovations, the main thing I would keep in mind is, if you doing these changes for the purpose of making your home more attractive or to sell for more, consider the return on your investment. Real estate is market driven, meaning the market determines the price, not necessarily how much you paid for it or how much value you believe the home has. So, for example, $50,000 in renovations may not result in $50,000+ more in value or listing price. However, if you have a fixer upper that is valued on the very low end of your neighborhood, investing in the property could allow you to reap a huge return. On the flip side, if you already have one of the best homes in the area, the law of diminishing returns comes into play.

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT: DURIEL RICHARDS | 23

ts e e w S n r e h t u o S

Favorite Things Winter Edition

BY MICHELLE GOWDY & KOYA TYSON It's that time of year again, where we like to share some of our favorite and personal items that we've fallen in love with and have high hopes you will too.

This perhaps is one of our favorite things to write up, because we get to learn and try out new things and share them with you. Certainly wouldn't want to keep all these goodies to ourselves. As the holidays approach, these can make some great stocking stuffers or at least personal treats for you to enjoy.

01

Bath & Body Works Black Chamomile Body Lotion ($13.50)

My coworker recently introduced me to the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy line of products and I instantly fell in love! In particular, the Black Chamomile Sleep body lotion is my absolute fav! It smells soo good and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth. It's a blend of essential oils & natural ingredients, best to apply before bedtime to ease your mind, but I love it so, that I almost use it as my everyday lotion.

02

Home Networks Decorative White 90 CFM Bluetooth Stereo Speaker Bath Fan with LED Light ($131.86 and up)

My husband and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing Home Networks Bluetooth Stereo Speaker Bath Fan while on vacay and were blown away. It's now on our list to purchase soon as we're revamping our master bathroom. Wirelessly stream your music play list, podcast, or radio; features a built-in LED blue night light and an Exhaust Fan with LED Light.

SOUTHERN SWEETS FAVORITE THINGS | 24

03

Influence Hair Care: It's Natural Shea Butter Moisture Lock ($13.95)

This right here is magic in a bottle, especially for natural hair. I used this on my daughter's hair for the first time recently and instantly saw dramatic results and improvements. Moisturizes extremely well, smells great, is lightweight on her hair, added softness and sheen. I use it now, she uses it, and I want to try the entire line. Worth a try folks!

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Insignia™ - Voice™ Smart Bluetooth Speaker and Alarm Clock with Google Assistant ($99.99)

This might be my all time favorite item of the year. I already have multiple Google Homes and Google Minis throughout my house, but I recently felt the need to have a bedside clock. I didn't want my bedside table cluttered so this combo device was perfect. This is not just any alarm clock. It comes equipped with the Google Assistant and has a bluetooth speaker with awesome sound quality. They also have a larger version which is portable. I've ordered that one as well.

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LIFX Mini White (A19) Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb ($19.99)

I absolutely LOVE the LIFX LED Light Bulb. It's a smart light bulb that connects to your Google Assistant or Alexa. You can turn it on or off with a simple voice command. You also have the option to schedule when the light comes on/off and the brightness level. I use this functionality to gradually wake myself in the mornings.

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Slick Deals (FREE)

Slick Deals is a cool app that finds a variety of deals, discounts, and online price mistakes. You can setup alerts to get notifications for specific items or for specific stores. I check the site before purchasing any big ticket items and during major sales like Black Friday. If you haven't already downloaded the app, I highly recommend you do it now.

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SOUTHERN SWEETS FAVORITE THINGS | 25

"HAVE NOTHING IN YOUR HOME THAT YOU DON'T KNOW TO BE USEFUL OR BELIEVE TO BE BEAUTIFUL." William Morris, British textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist

SOUTHERN SWEETS

Creative Directors: Koya Tyson / Michelle Gowdy Editors in Chief: Koya Tyson / Michelle Gowdy Photographer: Taij Harris Contributing Writers: Kori Roney, Jamison Johnson, and Duriel Richards Photo Credits: Kori Roney and Jamison Johnson

contact us southernsweetsmagazine@gmail.com Atlanta, Georgia ISSUE 05 • DECEMBER 2018

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